An anti-theft system is any device or method used to prevent or deter the unauthorized appropriation of items. From the invention of the first lock and key to the introduction of RFID tags and biometric identification, anti-theft systems have evolved to match the introduction of new technologies and their risk of misappropriation.
As regards electronic technologies, anti-theft systems can be used to disable items with specific functionality and to prevent their use if they are stolen. The anti-theft system can require disabling on every use, or enabling when the item needs to be secured. Disabling the anti-theft system is usually done by requiring identification of the owner at some stage of use. Identification can occur through physical or other means (physical keys, numerical codes, complex passwords, biometric identification).
Conventional mobile phone anti-theft systems offer a range of options for finding or protecting a mobile phone: Global positioning system (GPS) location, sounding an alarm, locking the phone, wiping the data completely, etc. For example, if a mobile phone is lost in a place that is hidden from plain view, an alarm can be sounded such that it can be located, even if it is “on silent.” If the phone has been stolen, the GPS can be used find the device.
Conventional mobile phone anti-theft systems that rely on GPS technology require internet connectivity in order to communicate current location information to backend systems that can act on the information. However, when mobile phones are stolen, their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards are usually removed. The removal of a SIM card terminates a device's internet connectivity and data network connectivity through a carrier such that its ability to communicate current location information to backend systems is ended. In this way, the removal of a SIM card prevents a stolen device from being identified and located. Many conventional mobile phone anti-theft systems that rely on internet connectivity do not have an adequate response to the removal of the SIM card. As the anti-theft systems do not have access to current location information, many conventional mobile phone anti-theft systems do not have the capability to help locate stolen mobile phones.
It is within this context that the embodiments arise.